Durham County Council has provided further information to schools on plans for phased reopening.

Durham County Council has provided the information after new scientific advice was published on Friday 22 May and due to concerns that key issues outside of its control have not yet been resolved.

The advice from the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), states there is ‘a consensus that evidence on the role of children in transmission of COVID-19 is unclear with a number of gaps in understanding’. It also says there is some evidence to suggest that children are as susceptible to COVID-19 as adults but advised that is not conclusive. Scientists have also advised government that the messaging to parents and teachers had to be ‘robust’ in order to ‘enhance confidence and willingness to return.’

The council has also acted in response to data which shows the North East having the highest coronavirus infection rate in the country.

Its action is also in response to delays implementing the national Test and Trace system – seen as vital in managing children returning to school. The system will not be fully operational by 1 June, the date previously announced by ministers as when the phased reopening should begin.

The information the council has provided to schools advises that 15 June, the date the government has put forward for secondary pupils to return, is a more realistic date for the phased reopening to begin.

Cllr Olwyn Gunn, the council’s Cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said: “Our priority has always been the safety of staff, children and communities and we have issued extensive advice and guidance to headteachers and governing bodies with the emphasis on reopening only when risk assessments have been carried out and found to be of a high enough standard.

“We have at no point stated schools should return on 1 June. And in the light of the new scientific advice, high infection rates and the unacceptable delays in implementing Contact Tracing, we believe 15 June is a more realistic timeline for all schools to work towards, subject to government scientific advice and individual school risk assessments.

“Ultimately it remains a decision for schools to open when they feel it is safe to do so and I would like to place on record our sincere thanks to all headteachers and staff for the tremendous work they are doing to this end.”

Almost £8.5 million has been allocated to repair roads and prevent potholes forming in County Durham.

Durham County Council has been awarded the money from the Department for Transport’s Pothole and Challenge Bid funds.

The funding is in addition to the £30 million already committed by the council for 2020-21 to help repair local highways in the county and will be spent on highway maintenance to improve the overall condition of the network.

It will help to strengthen the council’s rolling programme of resurfacing and sealing road surfaces.

Some of the funding will also be used to maintain other assets such as bridges and drainage systems.

Resurfacing works resumed across the county on 24 April following a break in services caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Council officers are now working on a programme that will address the backlog of works that are needed, at the best value.

Members of the public are being reminded to social distance and follow the latest government guidance when visiting County Durham’s parks, beaches and open spaces.

In a TV broadcast on Sunday night followed by the publication of The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out how people can exercise as many times a day as they want, from today (Wednesday 13 May.)

Under the new guidance, people can drive to parks, beaches and open spaces irrespective of distance as long as they respect social distancing guidelines to remain two metres (six feet) away from people outside their household.

The new guidelines also allow people to meet up with one person from outside their household, as long as they observe social distancing.

Cafes and visitor centres at Durham County Council’s Hardwick, Riverside and Wharton Parks, and The Lodge visitor centre at its Blackhill and Consett Park remain closed until further notice.

For more information, visit www.durham.gov.uk/parks.

A massive thank you to all the volunteers who are giving their time and helping the most vulnerable in the community during the coronavirus pandemic. Well done!

Please find below the latest bulletin providing updated information from Durham County Council about Covid-19.

Please note as the situation is constantly evolving the best way of staying up to date is via the Government’s website which is www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response, the NHS website, www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ and the Council’s website at www.durham.gov.uk

Stakeholder bulletin 7 May 2020

Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) in County Durham will reopen in the next two weeks in line with government guidance.

Last week, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, announced that he would be issuing guidance to councils to begin reopening HWRCs.

Since the announcement, Durham County Council has been working with its contractor, HW Martins, to look at the possibility of safely reopening its main sites and this week received new guidance from central government.

The council has now confirmed that it is planning for all 12 of its main sites to be reopened on Monday 18 May and will also resume its bulky waste goods collections from this day.

However, government guidance has emphasised that residents should only take waste to HWRCs if it cannot be stored safely at home and no alternative disposal options are available.

A number of significant safety measures have been considered in order to be able to reopen the sites in a way that ensures the safety of all staff and residents during the coronavirus outbreak.

Sites are expected to be extremely busy once the HWRCs reopen. The council is currently working to implement traffic management schemes, such as temporary road closures, where necessary for sites that risk blocking main highways and access for key services.

To ensure social distancing, people will be asked to keep two metres apart at all times and a limited number of cars will be allowed on site at a time. This will be determined on a site-by-site basis and residents are being asked to be patient at sites where there are queues. Visitors may also be turned away if sites are too busy.

Changes to the way the sites are used will also be made. For example, no lifting assistance will be available from staff on site, with users being responsible for this, and residents are advised to take a passenger from the household if required. Residents will also be asked to wash their hands before and after their visit.

Vehicles such as vans, pickups, minibuses or vehicles towing trailers, will still be able to use the site with a waste permit. These can be applied for on the council’s website. As usual, car users will not need to apply for a permit.

While the main sites will reopen, some services may remain closed initially such as the mobile recycling centre at Frosterley and the trade waste facility and re-use shop at Stainton. The council is working to reopen these as soon as possible.

Bulky waste collections can be booked from 9am on Tuesday 12 May at

www.durham.gov.uk/bulkywaste or by calling us on 03000 260 000. Bookings cannot be taken until this date. Items should be placed at your kerbside bin collection point, where your rubbish bins are collected from, ready for collection.

The HWRC sites are expected to be extremely busy once reopened and the council is asking residents to only use the site if necessary and expect queues.

idents to spread out their visits to HWRCs as much as possible, be patient when using the sites, and to bring materials only if they cannot be safely stored at home.”

Further details on sites, such as changes to opening times, can be found online at www.durham.gov.uk/hwrc

The COVID pandemic has meant the postponement of the majority of the VE Day 75 community celebrations planned for Friday 8 May to Sunday 10 May (Friday being a Bank Holiday).

Durham County Council hopes to move cancelled events to the weekend of 15th – 16th August (VJ Day) if restrictions are lifted.

It is recognised that there is still a strong desire among residents, and the nation as whole, to mark this important milestone. Whilst the anniversary provides a welcome distraction to the current situation, it is imperative that everyone marks the day safely in their own homes and follows the government’s current guidelines on social distancing.

On Friday, Durham County Council will launch a dedicated web area www.durham.gov.uk/veday75 and social media campaign #VEDay75 to ‘Commemorate VE Day 75 from your home’. The website will include links to virtual collections from the Durham County Record Office and the DLI collection as well as links to a whole host of resources and activities to download to help commemorate the day, such as party ideas for decorating your house including bunting templates, recipes, music playlists as well as educational challenges and other things to keep the family entertained. We’ll also be encouraging people to share their activities with us across all our social media channels especially on VE Day itself.

On Friday 8 May, the Northern Echo is publishing a special VE Day supplement. There will also be a nationwide two minute silence at 11am and a UK wide singalong of Dame Vera Lynn’s wartime classic ‘We’ll Meet Again’ which will be broadcast on BBC One at 9pm after the Queen’s speech.

New virtual storytelling sessions are to continue throughout May following their initial success.

Durham County Council’s library service recently began teaming up with artists to create video recitals of popular stories and poems which children and their families can enjoy online.

The sessions are just one of many online services libraries in the county are offering, all free of charge, to help residents through the coronavirus pandemic.

The online sessions began in April and the first four have been viewed hundreds of times each so far.

On the back of that success, the library service has lined up four more, in partnership with theatre company for young audiences Kitchen Zoo – stars of two of April’s recordings, and North East actors Shelley O’Brien, from Mad Alice Theatre Company, and Stan Hodgson.

The classic tales, retold by regional artists, will go live on the council’s YouTube channel www.durham.gov.uk/youtubelibraryonline on the following days:

• Thursday 7 May: Kitchen Zoo reading The Jumblies by Edward Lear
• Thursday 14 May: Stan Hodgson reading his own version of The Lambton Worm
• Thursday 21 May: Kitchen Zoo reading The Boy who Cried Wolf
• Thursday 28 May: Shelley O’Brien reading The Magic Porridge Pot by Brothers Grimm

All libraries in County Durham remain closed in response to government guidance on coronavirus.

People who are not already members of the library service can sign up at https://www.durham.gov.uk/libraryonline for free access to daily enewspapers, eMagazines and eComics.

Library Online also gives access to thousands of free eBooks and eAudiobooks online. Content can be downloaded online or via the Borrowbox app, which is available in the App Store and Google Play.

Library Online is also offering free online access to family history site Ancestry (Library Edition), through which members can browse historical documents and photographs plus local history, oral histories, indexes and other resources.

Thanks to the power of technology and the passion of its members and organisers, a dementia friendly choir is still bringing people together during the coronavirus outbreak.

East Durham Dementia Friendly Choir offers those living with dementia, as well as their family and friends, an opportunity to benefit from the joys of singing with others.

Developed by Durham County Council’s community arts team, East Durham Area Action Partnership (AAP) and East Durham’s Dementia Friendly Communities Programme, the choir usually meets at Blackhall Community Centre and Eastlea Community Centre in Seaham, both Dementia Friendly Communities.

The coronavirus pandemic put a stop to usual group sessions, but the choir has found new ways to sing together, despite not being able to meet in person, by moving their regular sessions online.

And a sister choir is set to join the virtual singing sessions next week. Durham County Council’s community arts team teamed up with Ushaw College to set up a second dementia friendly choir, ‘Forget Me Notes’, in January. The group will have its first virtual meet on Thursday 7 May.

Kylie Lloyd, community arts manager for Durham County Council, said: “We’ve seen the impact that the East Durham Dementia Friendly Choir sessions have had and we want to be able to offer more sessions for choirs across the county.

“We are delighted to be working with Ushaw College to launch the ‘Forget Me Notes’ digital choir sessions next week. We welcome new members to both choirs.”

Choir leader, Bethany Elen Coyle, said: “Our Dementia Friendly Choirs community is stronger than ever and although we may be isolated, we are not alone. We won’t let a global pandemic spoil our musical fun, and as you can see and hear we are exploring new ways to connect and support our singing community by adapting to the lockdown and moving our choir sessions online.”

Belinda Williams, Dementia Friendly Communities coordinator at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “In just a year, East Durham’s Dementia Friendly Choir has managed to inspire, transform and change the way we see, hear and talk about dementia.

“They are a fantastic example of how Dementia Friendly Communities across East Durham are empowering people living with dementia – and their families, friends and neighbours – to connect and collaborate with local volunteers, community, cultural projects and more, creating initiatives that are truly sustainable and inclusive, even in these challenging times. They are brilliant.”

Choir member Val Owens, from Blackhall Colliery, said: “I’m sure we all have our down days, missing family and friends during this lockdown. Meeting with the choir each week helps lift your spirits. Seeing everyone and sharing our music and songs is just magical.”

Fellow singer Jen Linford, from Blackhall Colliery, said: “The joy on everyone’s faces is the highlight of my day and being able to connect with our choir family is wonderful.”

Watch The East Durham Dementia Friendly Choir sing ‘Stand By Me’, in a musical video created remotely while in isolation: https://youtu.be/lEhUogvWQQ0

For more information on the Durham network of Dementia Friendly Community Choirs email Bethany at dementiafriendlychoirs@gmail.com or find @dementiafriendlychoirs on Facebook.

For the Dementia Connect support line call 0333 150 3456 or Alzheimer’s Society County Durham Dementia Adviser Service on 0191 398 0400.

Wider support during the coronavirus pandemic can be found at Durham County Council’s support for residents page:www.durham.gov.uk/article/22971/Support-for-residents. Or visit Locate, the authority’s online support directory, at: www.durhamlocate.org.uk/

To find out more about Dementia Friendly Communities and how to support people affected by dementia, visit:

www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-involved/dementia-friendly-communities/coronavirus-ways-to-support

County Durham residents who have been left feeling lonely and isolated from the impact of coronavirus can now check in and chat to the team at County Durham Together.

The community hub has launched its chat service to combat the loneliness that can often be felt when shielding or self-isolating.

Durham County Council set up the hub alongside local groups, volunteers and charities, helping to support the county’s most vulnerable residents with access to essential food supplies, welfare and general advice.

More than 200 council staff have since been redeployed to work for the hub, where they’ve been answering phones and finding out how residents can be supported through the pandemic.

Their new ‘check in and chat’ service is open to anyone who needs to hear a friendly voice or for someone to chat and listen to them, as well as checking in to see if they are ok.

In addition to a wide range of mental health and befriending services already in place to support County Durham residents, hub staff will also be there to provide companionship to callers, discussing their interests or family stories in a bid to brighten their days.

The hub is also offering a reading service to callers as part of the council’s online library service Borrowbox.

A selection of books, alongside good news and local news stories from the library’s enewspaper, emagazine and economics collections are on offer for residents to listen to at home.

Fans of the reading service can also take advantage of a ‘lucky dip’ doorstep book offer which will see fiction, non-fiction or children’s books delivered to their door for them to keep.

Anyone wanting to access the hub’s check in and chat or reading service should call 03000 260 260 or email communityhub@durham.gov.uk

More information on how to look after mental health and support services that are available can be found on the council’s website: www.durham.gov.uk/covid19mentalhealth